Trump 'seriously considering' Iran strike, briefed on options: Report
Confronting protests, Iran also vows to strike back if US attacks
Highlights:
- Trump briefed on military strike options against Iran, according to US officials
- No final decision made, but strike under serious consideration
- Move linked to Iran's crackdown on protests triggered by economic hardship
- Options presented include targeting non-military sites in Tehran
US President Donald Trump has recently been briefed on military strike options against Iran as he weighs acting on his warnings to retaliate over Tehran's suppression of protests, according to several US officials familiar with the discussions, reports The New York Times.
While no final decision has been taken, the officials said Trump is seriously weighing authorisation of a strike in response to the Iranian authorities' crackdown on demonstrations driven by deep economic discontent, the newspaper reported on Saturday (10 January).
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Trump has been presented with multiple scenarios, including the possibility of targeting non-military locations in Tehran, the officials said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the deliberations.
When asked about preparations for potential strikes, the White House pointed to Trump's recent public remarks and social media posts.
Trump, posting on social media on Saturday, said, "Iran is looking at FREEDOM, perhaps like never before. The USA stands ready to help!!!"
Protests erupted across Iran in late December amid a currency crisis and have since expanded in scale, with many demonstrators demanding sweeping changes to the country's authoritarian system.
Iranian authorities have vowed to quell the unrest, and human rights groups say dozens of protesters have been killed.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday that the government will "not back down" in the face of the protests.
Trump has repeatedly warned of forceful action if Iran continues to kill demonstrators, saying on Friday that the country "is in big trouble."
"I've made the statement very strongly that if they start killing people like they have in the past, we will get involved," Trump told reporters on Friday, while meeting with oil executives.
He added, "We'll be hitting them very hard where it hurts. And that doesn't mean boots on the ground, but it means hitting them very, very hard where it hurts. So we don't want that to happen."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone on Saturday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to sources familiar with the call. They discussed the protests in Iran, the situation in Syria and the Gaza peace process.
Earlier on Saturday, Rubio posted on social media that the United States "supports the brave people of Iran."
Options, considerations
Senior US officials said on Saturday that some of the options put before Trump over Iran focus specifically on components of the country's security apparatus accused of using force to suppress the expanding protests.
At the same time, officials cautioned that any military action would need to be carefully calibrated to avoid unintended consequences, including rallying public support behind the Iranian government or provoking retaliatory attacks that could endanger US military and diplomatic personnel in the region, reports The New York Times.
A senior US military official said regional commanders would likely require additional time before any strike to reposition forces and strengthen defensive measures against possible Iranian retaliation.
According to US officials, any decision on military action must strike a balance between fulfilling Trump's pledge to punish Tehran for cracking down on protesters and ensuring the situation does not deteriorate further.
Notably, Trump is weighing the possibility of renewed strikes on Iran just over six months after ordering attacks on three Iranian nuclear facilities last June.
During that operation, dubbed "Midnight Hammer," six B-2 bombers dropped 12 bunker-buster bombs on the Fordo underground site, while US Navy submarines launched 30 cruise missiles at nuclear facilities in Natanz and Isfahan.
Another B-2 bomber also deployed two bunker-buster bombs on Natanz.
Iran responded with its own missile launches and signalled a willingness to return to negotiations over its nuclear programme, which Iranian officials maintain is intended solely for civilian purposes.
